It
started at Kuwabara's birthday party. A large and assorted group of
people had shown up - there was the spirit detective crew, Kuwabara's
old gang, and many new acquaintances from the university Kuwabara had
been accepted to. Shizuru had bought them all beer and at least half
the room was tipsy. The guests were mostly entertaining themselves,
seeing as Kuwabara had lost all interest in everyone else once Yukina
had arrived.

The
only person who didn't seem to be having a good time was Hiei. He was
slouched in a corner, brooding. Kurama had dragged him here through
many protestations, and now the fox was off somewhere else--to be
specific, in the center of a small knot of admirers with a guitar in
his hands. Despicable.

Kurama
had stuck with his normal routine of at least trying to engage Hiei
at first, bringing him a drink and introducing him to people. But
then his attention had been caught by a boy who had brought his
guitar and was now fiddling with it, playing absent snatches of what
Hiei presumed were popular songs, and soon after Kurama had drifted
away in a determinedly casual manner to grab Kuwabara's guitar and
begin playing with the other boy. Hiei had been sulking in the corner
ever since. Yusuke was completely ignoring him in favor of Keiko,
and there wasn't anyone else there he cared to talk to or be with.
He'd known he didn't want to come.

Since
he had nothing else to do, Hiei watched Kurama and the other boy
playing together. He had to admit they were doing well. If he'd had
less pride he would have been among the circle of admirers. Kurama
was bent over his guitar, hair falling in his face, the very picture
of...

Stop
it, Hiei told himself angrily.
He had long ago come to terms with his attraction to members of the
same sex, but it was not a step he was willing to take with Kurama,
no matter how much he sometimes felt like it. There was too much to
be lost if it went wrong.

Still...

Hiei
couldn't help but notice how the other musician was looking at
Kurama. Rather like he'd discovered a rare or delightful treat.
Engaging him in conversation. Scooting closer. Kurama was either
oblivious to the fact that he was being hit on, or receptive, because
he talked back just as eagerly, allowed the movements closer.

This
wouldn't be the first time Kurama had flirted with a human, or
engaged in a relationship with one. But they all fell apart quickly.
Hiei couldn't understand how Kurama could be so dense as to think a
human could actually be a long term partner for him, when so much of
his life would have to remain forever hidden. That wasn't the way to
build a relationship. Hiei knew more about Kurama than any potential
ningen partner could ever be permitted to know, so why did Kurama
persist in pursuing them?

Or
allowing himself to pursued, Hiei thought with a very dark look at
the guitarists. Kurama seemed to have completely forgotten his
existence. Hiei retreated further into his corner and wondered if
there was anything to this human alcohol thing.

He
stayed in the corner until he saw Kurama putting his coat on, and was
just getting ready to meet him outside and walk home with him,
largely for the purpose of giving him grief over the human boy, when
none other but the same boy stopped him and talked to him for a
minute. And then Kurama nodded and waited while the other boy put his
own coat on.

Oh
no. No, sorry, that was one thing Hiei was not going to allow,
someone else walking Kurama home. He stalked across the room.

And
was halted, no more than halfway across, by a hand on his shoulder.
He turned around ready to attack the person, but it was Yusuke. "Let
him go," Yusuke said.

"Out
of my way, detective."

"You're
going to lose him if you keep this up."

Hiei
was momentarily stunned. By the time he had stopped staring at
Yusuke, blinking in confusion, he realized Kurama had already left
with that boy. "What?" he finally said, flatly.

"Come
outside for a second."

Grudgingly,
Hiei followed the detective out into the backyard, empty except for a
couple of smokers, whom they bypassed. "Alright, detective, what
is it?" Hiei asked impatiently.

"I
take it you don't like Kurama leaving without you."

Hiei
shrugged. "He's the one who dragged me to this abysmal place."

"Or
is it that he was leaving with another guy?"

Hiei
snorted. "Please, detective," he said with disdain.

Yusuke
rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, sorry. It's just that Kurama
was saying a funny thing to me the other day." Yusuke's voice
was carefully casual. "He said that you've never shown any signs
of wanting to be in, you know, a relationship with him--except when
he tries to date somebody else. And then he says you get obnoxious
and are constantly there and bugging him and the other guy and
undermine it until the relationship falls apart -- at which point you
go back to ignoring him half the time, giving no indication of
romantic interest, until he decides to try something again."

Hiei
was momentarily stunned. "He said all that?"

"He
sure did, and he sounded pissed about it. He said it's like you won't
have him, but won't let him have anybody else. I've gotta tell you,
Hiei, one of these days soon he's gonna get sick of it."

"What
do you mean?"

"I
mean he isn't going to put his friendship with you above other
relationships anymore. He's going to tell you to shove out and tell
the other person to ignore you."

Hiei
stood subdued for a moment, trying to imagine his fox treating him
that way. He was so surprised by hearing all this - not the least
that Kurama had been telling it to Yusuke, not straight to him - that
he actually asked, "What do you think I should do?"

"I
think you should lay off," Yusuke replied promptly. "You've
more than had a chance to be with him, and you've never taken it. So
give him some room to breathe. Or make up your mind and go after him,
one of the two. Just stop being a pill, 'kay?"

And
with that, Yusuke clapped him on the back and vanished back into the
party, leaving a subdued and bewildered Hiei behind him.

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